


When Eagles Fall and Dragons Fly

by ElfReject



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: AU, Assassin's Creed II, Hurt/Comfort, Leonardo as an Assassin, M/M, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-17
Updated: 2014-01-17
Packaged: 2018-01-09 00:39:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1139393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElfReject/pseuds/ElfReject
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a disastrous assassination attempt leaves Ezio out of commission, Leonardo struggles with his own assassin history. His past identity and present secrets weave a tangled web further complicated by Ezio returning to the job, only to find himself falling for the mysterious man behind the mask.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyRedFeather](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRedFeather/gifts).



> Written as a Christmas present for the lovely LadyRedFeather. <3

\----

The night was mild; the cool breeze that drifted over the canal was barely enough to ruffle Leonardo's cloak. The moon was suspended brightly over Venice but the majority of the city was already tucked away in bed. Leonardo stepped closer to the edge of the San Giobbe and peered over the side. The cobblestone street below seemed miles away and the haystack nearby gave him little comfort. He knew Ezio leapt from much taller buildings than this one like it was second nature but it didn't come as easily to him. Several minutes passed as he contemplated the distance between himself and the ground, calculating trajectory and velocity. Mathematically, there was no concern but somehow the logic couldn't prevail over the niggling sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. He took a deep breath and stepped back from the ledge, not tonight. 

This was the third night he had brought himself to the top of the San Giobbe, each time convincing himself that he would do it, this would be the time but he never did. He couldn't explain why either. It wasn't as if he was a complete stranger to this. But it had been years since his rooftop running days and he hadn't quite built back up to it yet. Ever since moving to Venice four years ago, he figured it would be a good opportunity to come out of retirement. New town, new faces, nothing to hold him back. Except, as it turned out, himself. He told himself he was too busy, had too many projects already, and besides, who else could decipher those Codex pages Ezio brought in occasionally? 

With one last glance over the edge, Leonardo backed away and opened the roof hatch, climbing down the ladder like any normal person. He exited out onto the street, greeted by silence except for the lapping of water against the walls of the canal. Leonardo wound through the maze of Venezia until he made it back to his workshop, unlocking the door and slipping inside. 

Hanging his cap by the door, he settled down behind his desk, shuffling the stacks of paper and blueprints laid out there. He sighed and propped his chin in his hand, reflecting solemnly on everything unaccomplished and left undone. 

"Is this a bad time?"

Leonardo jumped, shaken out of his trance by the disembodied voice. He looked around but no one appeared to be in the workshop. "Hello?"

Ezio emerged from the shadows in the corner, his smirk the only thing visible beneath his pointed hood. 

"Ezio! _Dio Mio!_ I didn't see you there."

"I guess that means I'm doing my job right." 

Leonardo laughed and stood up to greet him. "What can I do for you at this hour?"

Ezio pulled another rolled up scroll out from under his cape and handed it over. "I don't mean to pester you this late but--"

Leonardo waved away his apology and spread the paper out on the desk, scrutinizing the now familiar handwriting of the Codex pages. "It's no trouble, really. In fact, I rather enjoy it. Decrypting these pages, that is." A small, nervous laugh escaped him and he hunched over Altaïr's words. 

Ezio fiddled with the mechanism to his hidden blade, flicking it in and out while Leonardo worked. Leonardo didn't talk much; he was wrapped up in the pages and couldn't be bothered to indulge in small talk. Ezio wandered around the workshop and looked at some of Leonardo's paintings that sat in various stages of completion. He smiled to himself; even after all that had changed, Leonardo's procrastination remained as enduring as ever. 

Hours passed as Leonardo worked and Ezio peeked out the window and figured the sun would be rising soon. The Thieves Guild would be waiting for him, hopefully with new information regarding the Barbarigos. Preparation had gone on long enough; it was finally time to strike.

Ezio walked over to an unfinished piece of Leonardo's art leaning against the wall next to some scaffolding. The board was over six feet tall and had some semblance of scenery already painted along with one figure slightly off center wearing the outline of a cape and looking out at the viewer. Ezio frowned and took a step back.

"That would be the archangel Gabriel," Leonardo offered, coming over to stand next to Ezio in front of the painting.

"Is he supposed to be staring at me? It's a little frightening."

Leonardo laughed. "I thought it was symbolic." He handed Ezio the decrypted page. "There you are. Nothing particularly exciting in this one but I'm sure every page is important." 

"Thank you, Leonardo," Ezio said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Your assistance is invaluable as always. But now I must go; the guild and I have work to do."

\----

News of Emilio Barbarigo's assassination spread quickly through the city. The San Polo district was in complete disarray. Shop owners and customers alike were in an uproar about new policies and what changes would come about now that the oppressive merchant had been unseated. Leonardo made sure to keep to his workshop, not keen to put himself in the middle of any street riots or whatever ridiculous circumstances the assassination brought about.

When there was a knock on the door, he was hesitant to answer it. There was little chance any of the rioters would be polite enough to knock before proceeding to cause trouble but Leonardo didn't want to risk it. But after a moment's hesitation, curiosity won over and he cracked the door open just enough to see out. His doorstep was empty and the plaza just outside was relatively quiet as well but he could hear the shouting in the distance. 

He furrowed his eyebrows at the lack of visitor and pulled the door open a little more. Just before he stepped forward to look out onto the street, something on the doorstep caught his eye. Leaning down to pick it up, there was a flash of scarlet and white in his peripheral vision and he could have sworn it was a cape whisking around the corner. Leonardo cradled the little wooden mannequin in his hands and smiled.

\----

In the wake of Emilio's assassination, the Templar order was desperate to solidify their hold on the city. Whispers of plans to kill the Doge quickly reached the ears of the Thieves Guild. The Templars were planning to strike hard and fast, barely giving Ezio and the guild any time to retaliate. Fortunately, Ezio happened to know a certain genius inventor that might be able to expedite the process.

He pounded on Leonardo's door before entering anyway, finding the man poised over his desk like most days. "I need your help, Leonardo." He turned around but Ezio didn't give him time to respond. "Does it work?"

"What? What are you asking?"

Ezio gestured at the large contraption hanging in the corner. "Does it work? Leonardo, can it really fly?"

Leonardo came closer and shrugged. "I...don't know. It's only a prototype. An idea." He rubbed the back of his head and glanced over the machine. "It's not ready yet."

"Have you tried it?" 

Leonardo turned sharply. "No. It's too dangerous. To test it you'd have to leap off a tower." He waved his hands in frustration, returning to his blueprints. "Who would be mad enough to do a thing like that?" As soon as the words left his mouth he realized who was standing in the room with him.

Ezio laughed and crossed his arms. "Leonardo, I think you just found your madman."

After some trial and error, an epiphany from Leonardo, and some consultation with Antonio, the plan was set. The thieves maneuvered through the city and took their positions, waiting until the sun went down to light the fires that would carry Ezio to the Palazza Ducale.

The flight went as smoothly as could be expected and Ezio landed on top of the Palazza's roof in time to see the Doge and Grimaldi sitting down to play chess. Ezio leapt down from the roof onto to the window ledge yelling as the Doge raised the poison glass to his lips.

"Stop, signore! Don't drink that!" 

"You are too late, assassin! The Doge is dead," Grimaldi spat, standing up from his chair and gloating. He ran from the room, leaving the Doge with a terrified expression as he began to cough up blood. 

"I'm sorry, signore. I tried," Ezio apologized before leaping back out the way he came and dropping into the courtyard. Shouts rang out as the guards swarmed him and he cut through them one by one to make his way to the fleeing Grimaldi. Ezio sheathed his sword and flicked out his hidden blade, running up to grab Grimaldi around the throat and thrust the blade into his back, up into his heart. The man shuddered and went limp in Ezio's arms as the assassin laid him on the ground and said his last rites.

Standing back up, Ezio turned and saw one last guard standing on the second floor balcony with terror in his eyes, clutching tightly to a scroll with a Templar seal. When Ezio turned his gaze on him, he panicked and fled, climbing up a ladder onto the roof and disappearing from view.

"You! Stop!" Ezio yelled, breaking into a run and bursting out of the Palazza’s gate. He scaled the side of a building after the messenger and emerged onto the roof to see the man leaping onto the adjacent rooftop. Ezio wasted no time in pursuing him, jumping nimbly onto the rooftop as well. The chase extended across the city, the messenger always just out of reach. Ezio was running short of breath but couldn't risk stopping; the contents of the letter could potentially tip the balance against the Templars. Any chance that what was in the letter could lead them to Rodrigo Borgia, Ezio had to take. 

He ignored shouts of "Hey! Get down from there!" and continued running, launching off a chimney and grabbing onto a window ledge and hauling himself over the side, not daring to stop and catch his breath. He pushed on, trying to keep his mind off the burning in his lungs. Another archer shouted threats at him but he kept going, not seeing the man notch an arrow and take aim. He approached the edge of the building and prepared to make the leap to the next. He was only a couple meters from the end when he felt something sharp tear through his shoulder. The arrow ripped through his arm and lodged there but it was enough to make Ezio lose his footing and topple over. Then he was falling.

Time slowed to a crawl as he went down, fingers scrabbling for some kind, any kind, of hold but everything was just beyond his grasp. He landed at an angle, his left leg hitting the ground first and the rest of him collapsing after. The air left his lungs and he heard the sickening crunch of bone and pain shot through him like lightning before everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

His eyes cracked open but the room was blurry. As he slowly returned to consciousness, he tried to sit up and get a better look around but his entire body protested even the smallest of movements. The pain was blinding and Ezio screamed before biting it back and clenching his teeth, trying to ride out the wave of agony. He squeezed his eyes shut to keep the tears from escaping and felt the throbbing of a headache pick up behind his temples.

"Ezio! You're awake!" 

Ezio recognized Leonardo's voice but couldn't yet open his eyes. He felt Leonardo's hand on his uninjured arm and soon after a cool cloth laid across his forehead. After a few minutes, his breathing returned to normal and the intensity of the pain began to ebb. Once he was settled back and careful not to move again, he opened his eyes and found himself in a bed in a room of La Rosa Della Virtu. 

The memory of how he came to be there slowly came back to him and he heard the crack of bones and the sound of his body breaking as it hit the cobblestones play in his head all over again. He felt nauseous.

Leonardo's voice pierced his thoughts and brought Ezio back to the present. "How are you feeling?" Ezio turned his eyes to his friend and saw the concern written all over his face hidden just under the relief of finding Ezio awake again. 

"How long have I been unconscious?" 

"Almost two days. You had a concussion among other...complications. We were afraid you wouldn't wake up."

Ezio's stomach dropped at the way Leonardo tripped over the word 'complications.' "Don't coddle me, Leonardo. What damage has been done?" 

Leonardo dropped his head and his voice grew almost imperceptibly soft. "Well, for one, you lost some blood from the wound on your shoulder. Then you had the concussion along with a broken leg but..."

"What? What is it?"

"Ezio, when you fell...your back was broken. We...don't know if you'll be able to walk again..."

It took a moment for Leonardo's words to sink in and when he realized what had happened, he adopted an emotionless, steely glare. He locked his eyes on the ceiling and refused to look away.

"Ezio..."

"It's fine."

"Listen, I know this is a lot to take in but you need to take it seriously--"

"I am taking it seriously. I'm fine."

"It might not be as bad as we think. It's hard to tell really; it looks like your leg broke most of your fall so--"

"Lucky me."

Leonardo sighed deeply and stood up. "The important thing now is for you to stay still to give you time to heal."

"I don't think I'll be going anywhere."

"It's possible after a few months you could recover. With help you cou—"

"What does it matter, Leonardo?" Ezio snapped, raising his voice but keeping his eyes straightforward. "By then the Spaniard will be long gone and everything I've worked for will be for nothing."

There wasn't pity in Leonardo's eyes, only grief and understanding. "There are others who could take over--"

"No, this was my responsibility. To myself and to my family and I've let them down. All these years turned to _merda_ by one archer."

Leonardo knew there was nothing he could say to convince Ezio otherwise. With one last glance, he walked quietly out of the room, shutting the door behind him and leaving Ezio alone. It didn't seem wise to leave him to wallow in his own self-loathing but Leonardo knew by now that his friend had grown used to alone and it was how he coped.

He was wrong, though. Ezio may have thought he was bearing the burden alone, but he had an entire brotherhood behind him, willing to support him in any way they could. He wasn't the only madman in the city, some of them, Leonardo thought, were just too afraid to fly.

\----

The night was cooler this time, a sea breeze wafting in from the bay. Leonardo stood atop the San Giobbe for the fourth time, facing the same decision once again. This time, however, he had a purpose. If Ezio couldn't take revenge himself, he'd need someone to do it for him.

A Leap of Faith, that's what it was called, wasn't it? If there was ever something Ezio needed now it was faith. Perhaps not in a god, but in people, in the world. Leonardo could give that to him. Or at the very least, he could try. Try to show Ezio that there were others out there willing to share his burden and walk alongside him. And all it took was a leap.  
Leonardo planted his feet on the ledge of the building, his toes hanging just off the side. With his arms spread wide and one last deep breath, he sprang forward and sailed through the air, feeling freer than he had in years. For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.

\----

A few months passed and despite all that was stacked against him, Ezio was proving his resilience and getting better. For the most part he was still confined to bed, but he was gaining strength every day. Occasionally, someone would come in and help him move around a bit to get his body used to functioning properly again. But even with his somewhat miraculous recovery, it was almost certain he would never regain his full health. He may be able to walk and move and do most of things he'd done before but it would probably cause him pain and he wouldn't be nearly as agile and nimble about it. 

Meanwhile, rumors were flying through the city about a masked rogue that the people had taken to calling the Marauder. Antonio's thieves were on the case from the first moment the man surfaced but so far he had managed to keep one step ahead of them. 

For the most part, they figured he was on their side. While he didn't necessarily declare any allegiances, it looked as though his targets were corrupt officials, Borgia affiliates, and those with links to the Templars. As long as he continued that streak, the brotherhood seemed content to let him go about his business, no matter how tantalizing his identity was. 

There were other strange rumors as well. Ones that mentioned that the Marauder wasn't actually a cold-blooded killer. He left bodies in his wake on occasion but the brotherhood was hesitant to label him as an assassin because his kills were so few and far between. It seemed that whenever possible, he left his targets alive, after he had gotten what he wanted from them, that is. And on top of that, there were citizens swearing up and down that the mysterious man had swooped in out of nowhere in their time of need. 

That's what made him such an interesting point of focus. He was a vigilante but at the same time a charity worker? For the life of them, the Thieves Guild and the Brotherhood couldn't pin him down. Whoever he was, he was remarkably talented at keeping to himself and keeping others on their toes.

One afternoon, as the doctor was helping Ezio with his daily exercise therapy, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Ezio hissed through gritted teeth. He was on his back and the doctor was stretching out Ezio's leg, pushing his knee toward his chest. 

Ezio unclenched his jaw as the doctor let him rest for a moment when his visitor stepped into his room. The last person Ezio expected to see in Venezia was the Fox but there he was, standing in the doorway. He kept his hood up and took a spot against the wall, waiting for Ezio to have a free moment.

Ezio waved the doctor away and struggled to get into a sitting position. The doctor reached out to help but Ezio snapped at him, determined to do it on his own, especially in front of someone as intimidating as La Volpe. The pain was almost excruciating but Ezio white-knuckled the edge of the bed and made it up, letting out a labored breath and leaning back against the wall.

"La Volpe, what are doing out of Firenze?"

"I hear Venezia has a dragon problem."

"Dragon? What are you talking about?" 

La Volpe pushed off from the wall and began pacing the room. "The people here have been calling him the Marauder but in Firenze he was known as the Dragon."

"The Marauder? You mean that man has a reputation? I thought he was just some _idiota_ looking for some cheap thrill."

"Apparently you haven't been receiving very accurate information. In fact, you may find yourself somewhat indebted to him. He seems to be doing your job."

"What?" 

"The Borgia messenger you were after when you had your accident along with the archer that caused it were the Dragon's first targets. Their bodies were found in the same place where you fell. Honestly, Ezio, I realize you're injured but that's no reason to be so grievously uninformed. Especially since he seems to have taken an interest in you."

Ezio looked incredibly puzzled. "Well, who is this man? How do you know of him?"

"This isn't the first city he's appeared in. But it is the first time he's shown up in several years. We thought he'd retired when he disappeared from Firenze but obviously we were wrong. It's my understanding he and Giovanni were actually quite good friends."

"My father?" Ezio asked, stunned.

"Indeed. But the Dragon had already been gone for many years by the time Giovanni would have had any reason to mention him to you." La Volpe stopped pacing and sat down on the edge of the bed. "That may be why he's suddenly come out of retirement. Perhaps protecting Giovanni's son seems...sentimental."

Ezio set his jaw. "I don't need protection or someone to fight my battles for me. Especially not some _bastardo_ who apparently didn't care enough to save my father from the gallows." 

La Volpe folded his hands on his lap. "I can't tell you why he left or why he didn't come back or why he's here now, but I know that your father wouldn't want you throwing away someone's help so carelessly. I can't make you trust him but I'd advise you to give him a chance. After all, he’s done most of your job for you."

Ezio didn't look convinced. "Like I said before, La Volpe, I don't need anyone to do my duties for me."

La Volpe smiled. "If bones could heal from sheer willpower and stubbornness, you would have been out of this bed months ago." Ezio tried to resist but couldn't help cracking a smile as well. 

"I'll give Antonio's men what I know about the Dragon," La Volpe continued, "and leave it up to them to do what they feel is best. If anything new comes up, I'll be sure to send you notice but for now I must return to Firenze. Goodbye, Ezio." He laid a hand lightly on Ezio's shoulder. 

"Goodbye, La Volpe. Thank you for the news." 

La Volpe nodded and walked briskly out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Except for the occasional commissioner and Ezio, Leonardo didn't receive many visitors. Which was a fortuitous advantage as it gave him plenty of time to practice and more importantly, lots of privacy. After his Leap of Faith, Leonardo was surprised to find how easily his training came back to him. Of course, he was a little rusty but he was improving with every day and every outing. He had to adapt some of the moves since the last time he had executed them he had been a teenager and age was working against him now. 

His old, white uniform was dusty and creased from being folded away in a box for so long and Leonardo was disappointed to find it didn't quite fit him anymore. He was going soft from this artist's lifestyle but he supposed that was to be expected. With a few alterations, the outfit was ready to be worn again and slipping into it felt like coming home. He tied the sash around his waist and traced the black embroidery, remembering the moment he first received it and the thrill that came along with it.

With all his gear adjusted, he scaled the ladder and emerged onto the roof of the workshop. He stood still for a moment, taking in the cityscape. The cobbled rooftop under his boots felt sturdy and familiar. He dug his toe into the crevice between two shingles and planted his feet firmly, lowering himself into a running position. He threw his hood on over his head and brought a cloth up to cover most of his face, leaving only his charcoal-lined eyes exposed.

One more deep breath and he was off. The first leap from the workshop roof to the next was exhilarating. Leonardo laughed aloud, his voice ringing out across Venice. He stumbled once or twice along the way but he was finding his footing once again.

He stopped to take a breath on the edge of a blacksmith shop, inhaling the sharp, cold air. When he left the brotherhood all those years ago, he never expected to miss it this much. The warmth from the furnace below leaked through the roof and Leonardo could feel it seeping into his boots. He wiggled his toes and prepared to set off again, planning out his route with his eyes.

The clanking of the hammer and anvil masked the thump as Leonard swung himself down from the shop sign and landed on a nearby balcony. He sped off again, on the alert for anyone in need of assistance. Even if the assassin bit didn’t work out in the end, Leonardo thought he might continue free running. At that moment, he felt like there was no better feeling in the world.

\----

“Ezio, do reconsider. You’ve only been back on your feet for a matter of weeks. Shouldn’t you be taking it slower?” Teodora tried to coax Ezio back into the La Rosa Della Virtu but he was already donning his gear again.

Somehow, against all odds, he had more or less made a full recovery. He was still weak and it would take some time before he was up to full strength again but from what the doctors could tell, Ezio had come out of the accident well and truly mended. It had been several months since La Volpe’s visit and every new story of the Dragon piqued his interest. The curiosity was burning him and he was itching to go out and find this man for himself.

“I’ve been going too slow, Teodora,” he replied. “I should have been out there days ago. I’ve spent far too much time locked up in here.”

She realized, of course, that once Ezio had made up his mind there was no telling him otherwise. “Very well, but please be careful unless you want to find yourself locked up in here for even longer.”

“I’ll do my best.” He smiled and tugged his hood up, walking out the door and into the city. There were still a few hours left in the day but the sun was setting and people were beginning to make their way back home. He meandered through the streets until he reached the Piazza San Marco. The people in the square were starting to filter out and Ezio took the opportunity to pass unseen behind the campanile.

After one final glance around, he rolled his shoulders and reached up to the first handhold. Steadily, he made his way up the side of the tower, his muscles complaining but nothing he couldn’t push through. He got higher and higher and in only a few more feet he could pull himself up into the belfry. He was within arm’s reach when his back constricted and made his head reel. Ezio gritted his teeth and held on, staying still and hoping the pain would pass. Instead, the muscles spasmed even worse and he felt his grip slipping.

 

From a distance, on the roof of the doge’s palace, Leonardo watched Ezio scale the side of the campanile. Even from so far away, he could tell Ezio was in pain as he climbed. He had faith in Ezio’s abilities, of course. What he didn’t trust was Ezio being able to know his limits. He knew that Ezio was stubborn and would push far past the point his body could handle. On the other hand, Leonardo was hesitant to reveal himself. 

The whole point of the Dragon’s presence was to make Ezio believe that other people were willing to stand up beside him. People who were anonymous; the Dragon was meant to inspire the everyday citizen of Venice. If Ezio knew that Leonardo was the Dragon he would assume his work was done out of pity and the inspiration would have been for naught. With any luck his influence would spread to other cities and Ezio would find himself with an army of vigilantes across Italy. He would be able to finish his cleanse of the Borgia and Templar oppressors and hopefully shed the guilt that had been plaguing him since he was just 17. 

But all of that was long-term. At the moment, Ezio was having difficult climbing a building. Leonardo wanted to believe that Ezio was capable of making it but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was bound to go wrong.

After another moment’s hesitation, Leonardo made sure his hood and face mask were secure, and ran along the edge of the basilica. When he was facing the campanile, he launched himself off the roof, landing in a hay cart in the square. With speed and agility easily twice that of Ezio’s at the moment, Leonardo made his way up the opposite side and into the tower’s open belfry. He could hear Ezio grunting with the effort and risked a glance over the edge to see his progress.

His friend was very close but had stopped moving. He heard him cry out in pain and saw his fingers start to loosen from the bricks.

In the span of a second, Leonardo was on his stomach and grabbed Ezio by the forearm. For a terrifying moment he felt himself sliding forward as Ezio’s entire body weight dangled in mid-air over the piazza. The assassin looked up at his rescuer but was only met with shadow. They began to slide again but then Ezio dug his boot into a crevice in the tower wall and regained his grip on a ledge. With Leonardo’s help, he dragged himself up and over, flopping onto his back and breathing heavily.

Leonardo backed into the corner, as far as he could get from Ezio, and tugged his hood farther down. It was quiet at first, save for Ezio’s ragged breathing.

Eventually, the injured man sat up and propped himself against one of the corner columns.

“You must be the mysterious Marauder the people are talking about. Or is it Dragon that you prefer?”

Leonardo didn’t speak, afraid that his voice would give away his identity.

“Is this why there are so many rumors about you?” Ezio asked. “Because you have no voice to speak for yourself?”

Leonardo tipped his head to the side in a manner he hoped read as unimpressed rather than childish curiosity. Ezio’s own expression was hidden under his hood as well so he wasn’t sure how the gesture was taken.

“I know about you, Dragon. You’re not as enigmatic as you think. There are people who still remember you from Firenze. And your deeds there have gone unnoticed by me.”

Leonardo’s heartbeat quickened but he steeled himself on the outside. Ezio’s voice was full of venom. But it didn’t make sense. If people knew him from Firenze shouldn’t Ezio know he was talking to a friend? Who was it that had told Ezio in the first place? He thought all ties linking him to the brotherhood had died with Giovanni. Unless…

La Volpe. It must have been. Their paths rarely crossed in Florence but he must have known the Dragon by reputation even if he didn’t know it was Leonardo behind it.

Which meant that all Ezio knew about him was that the Dragon disappeared just before his father’s execution.

Leonardo felt his heart sink. This was not how he envisioned their first meeting would go. He hadn’t spoken a word and already Ezio hated him.

He had to say something or the entire plan would fall into ruin. It had to be brief, the longer he spoke, the more chance that Ezio would recognize him. If any part of the design were to remain intact, he had to hold on to his anonymity.

“You do not have the whole truth.” He kept his voice low and gruff and it was muffled by his mask.

He let the statement sink in and left Ezio to think it over. Another few steps and he was soaring off the ledge.

 

Ezio watched the man disappear over the side of the tower. He stared out at where he had been long after the Dragon had gone. His final words hung heavy in the air.

What had he meant? What truth was he missing? Ezio thought his first meeting with the Dragon would have gone differently. They were supposed to meet on his terms and Ezio was to confront him for his misdeeds. Instead, the Dragon had saved his life and spoken six words and left. Whatever preconceptions Ezio had about the Dragon had been shaken by the encounter.  
La Volpe hadn’t been lying, had he? What reason would he have to do so? Then again, La Volpe’s account had been hazy at best. Perhaps there was more to the story. Of course there had to be.

Ezio put his head in his hands. Perhaps he had been too hasty in his conclusion. But admitting he was wrong was not something he was going to do after one confrontation. If it was true that this man had been close to Giovanni and had failed to come forward when his life was in danger then Ezio found it difficult to forgive him at all. But he also knew that making impetuous judgments often led to disastrous consequences. He had to know more.

\----

“I don’t know what to think of him, Leonardo,” Ezio confessed. He was stretched out on the artist’s couch while the artist himself was busy painting his tremendously large wooden panel. The background had become more solidified but Leonardo was hung up on the rocks. He spent hours fiddling with the shadows and texture but never felt satisfied. At the moment, he was up on a scaffold, trying to perfect the outcrop in the upper corner.

“What was it he said to you again?”

“‘You do not have the whole truth.’ Those words have plagued me for days and I am no closer to determining their meaning.”

“And you have not come across his since?” Leonardo glanced down at Ezio who was looking toward the opposite wall.

“No, it would seem he does not wish to be found.”

“Perhaps he is shy,” Leonardo offered.

Ezio craned his neck back to see Leonardo smiling to himself as he painted. Ezio couldn’t help but reciprocate.

“Perhaps.”

Silence fell in the loft as Ezio returned to his musings and Leonardo continued to paint.

“I can’t help but be intrigued by him, though. What does he stand for? Why is he doing what he’s doing?” Ezio spoke up after a moment.

Leonardo held the brush still, the bristles poised over the canvas as he weighed his words. In the end, he let Ezio’s question go unanswered. Ezio was too wrapped up in his own internal debate to notice.

“I must know who he is, Leonardo. Our pasts are intertwined and I need to know how.” 

Leonardo paled a little. He hadn’t expected Ezio to become so enraptured with this character of his. And he knew that once Ezio attached himself to a cause he wouldn’t let go. This could spell trouble down the road and Leonardo worried about how Ezio would react once he discovered the truth. Because there was no doubt he would eventually find out. Ezio was persistent and Leonardo could only keep up the charade for so long.

“If this is something you feel you must pursue there is nothing I can say to turn you away. But I should warn you, this man seems to be avoiding you. Perhaps it’s best to leave him to his own devices.”

Ezio sat up abruptly and swung his legs down to the floor. “But I must know what it means. This man could have had something to do with my family’s deaths. If he could give any information about the conspiracy or the Spaniard then I can’t let him go.”

Leonardo could hear Ezio’s voice begin to strain and he found himself hoping he would get the answers he sought only to remember that he would be the one Ezio would be looking for.

He climbed down from the scaffold and deposited his brushes into a little pot of water to be cleaned later. He took a seat next to Ezio on the couch, careful to keep his distance so he didn’t get paint on Ezio’s uniform.

“The Dragon must have disappeared for a reason. What if you’re pushing at something that is already precariously balanced?”

Ezio looked up at him, his eyes dark. “Why are you defending him? I may finally have the chance to understand what happened to my family and you’re telling me to back away?”

Leonardo shrunk back and stumbled over his words. “No…I only meant—”

Ezio stood up. “I’ve spent years tracking the men responsible for having my father murdered and now it comes to light that there was a fellow assassin in the area that did nothing to aid him? This is not something I can forget about, Leonardo, so stop trying to talk me out of it.” Without another word, Ezio stalked out of the loft and slammed the door behind him.

Leonardo sank back into the cushions and closed his eyes. The plan with the Dragon was falling through fast and he’d have to restructure if he wanted to keep everything from turning back on him. Most likely with harsh consequences.

He couldn’t give Ezio all the answers he wanted but he might be able to guide him in the right direction.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been several weeks since Ezio’s disastrous climb up the campanile and he’d been taking it much slower. He left the big game to his stronger and healthier allies, content, for now, with easy targets like pick pockets and messengers. Under any other circumstances, he would have been immensely dissatisfied with the work but at the moment, he was preoccupied with other concerns.

He hadn’t seen the Dragon since he’d saved his life but not for lack of trying. He’d kept his eyes and ears open but he was always one step behind the sightings and whispers.

Antonio’s thieves weren’t having any better luck. Ezio came to them for reports daily, sometimes twice daily, but they were faring no better than him.

He’d spent a few days feeling resentful toward Leonardo but he realized he was being childish and returned to apologize. His friend took the apology in stride and it wasn’t long before he was teasing Ezio about his growing obsession. Ezio laughed but hesitated to accept that his search for the Dragon was, in fact, becoming obsessed.

Between jobs, Ezio would write letters to La Volpe inquiring about the Dragon or visit Machiavelli to get his opinion on things. La Volpe’s replies were always cryptic and vague; they only answered his questions on the most basic level and left him with more questions. Any conversation with Machiavelli turned philosophical and strayed away from the problem at hand.

In the end, his closest confidante was da Vinci. The inventor may not have come from the same circles as Ezio but he was sharp and insightful and his commentary never left Ezio without something to think about. 

As for the Dragon himself, he still remained frustratingly elusive but Ezio was diligent and he wasn’t ready to give in yet.

\----

Leonardo locked and bolted the door to his workshop, assuring Ezio or anyone else wouldn’t come calling and find him gone.

He hadn’t masqueraded as the Dragon since Ezio’s fall. He wanted to let the excitement die down so Ezio didn’t do anything irrational should their paths cross. Of course, the rumors still flew but there was nothing to be done about that. And he had to admit, there was certain enjoyment he drew from watching Ezio squirm.

But tonight he thought he could risk it again. After latching all the windows, he stripped off his clothes and changed into his assassin uniform. He slipped the mask on and rubbed the charcoal on his eyes, sliding back into the persona. With his sash tied around his waist, Leonardo made his way timidly out the roof hatch. When the night guard had his back turned, he flew out of the workshop and over the adjacent roof out of view.

Leonardo knew Ezio’s usual haunts from what he talked about when he came to visit. The stray thought crossed his mind that it would be incredibly easy to kill Ezio if he were to ever turn against him, given all the information Ezio shared with him. Obviously, Leonardo would never dream of committing such an act. But knowing that Ezio trusted him enough to divulge such information with him made Leonardo’s chest swell with pride as he dashed over the rooftops. He felt vindicated as a friend.

Of course, he’d be lying to himself if he said he’d never imagined Ezio as more than a friend. There were plenty of things to like about Ezio. He was handsome to say the least, loyal, protective of his family, dedicated to his work. There were very few people who met Ezio who weren’t charmed by him. Then, Ezio did have a particular reputation as a ladykiller. And the fact that he was swept up in his work, leaving little room for relationships beyond casual sex on the occasional night. Two factors that counted against Leonardo.

But it wasn’t as if he spent his days pining away after the younger man. He appreciated him as an artist appreciates his subject. Besides, given how they met and everything that happened since, it was never the right time or place. And the last thing Leonardo wanted was to make Ezio uncomfortable or push him away. So he was exceptionally content with their standing relationship, while perhaps entertaining the occasional pleasurable thought.

Leonardo pushed those from his mind as he neared the Madonna dell’Orto and took a position where he could see most of the street.

The night was chilly with a slight breeze and Leonardo wrapped his cape around him as he waited. After an hour or so, Leonardo caught a flash of white on the rooftop across the way. He kept his eyes peeled until he saw it again farther down.

He stood from his post and followed after Ezio’s trail. He dashed over the roofs and across a wire until he found himself just ahead of his friend. Ezio was below him, climbing a wall to reach a lower roof segment of the building Leonardo was perched on.

Ezio had improved dramatically since the last time he’s seen him out on the field. He smiled to himself as Ezio reached the ledge and was about to pull himself up. Leonardo chose that moment to drop down and land dangerously close to Ezio’s fingers.

_“Merda!”_ Ezio swore and let go of the building in his shock. Leonardo reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him onto the roof in a move mirroring their first encounter. He took a few steps to give Ezio his space and waited for him to collect himself.

After a moment, Ezio began to laugh and Leonardo tipped his head in confusion.

“We must stop meeting like this,” Ezio said, and Leonardo could see him smile under his hood. The giddiness in his voice was barely restrained.

“Then you should stop putting yourself in this situation.” Leonardo adopted the same gruff voice as before and tried to keep the smile out of his tone. 

“That was hardly my fault,” Ezio replied, gesturing behind him to the ledge.

Leonardo only tipped his head again, choosing his words carefully.

Ezio brushed himself off and walked away from the edge. Leonardo watched his whole demeanor shift. There was confidence in his step and a sense of importance in the square of his shoulders. He knew Ezio was trying to offset the impression he left the last time. Their first meeting had been less than dignified and Ezio had no doubt been embarrassed by it.

Now, here he was, after being saved again, trying to rescue his pride. If Leonardo didn’t know Ezio so well he might have been impressed. As it was, he could see Ezio’s personality written in every movement and he wasn’t fooled for a moment.

“You’re a hard man to find, Dragon,” Ezio said, approaching him with slow, deliberate steps, as though he was a skittish wild animal. Leonardo took a few steps back and to the side and they began circling each other. “I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

“Perhaps I was giving you time to think.”

“It’s been weeks. How senseless do you believe me to be?”

“Yet you still have not found an answer; I should think that answers your question.”

Ezio looked affronted but didn’t argue. They continued pacing, the moonlight shining down slighlty obscured by clouds. They could see the silhouette of a distant guard on a rooftop, but otherwise the night was empty and everyone was locked away.

“You didn’t exactly give me much to go on.”

“You could call it testing the water. I wanted to see how far you were willing to take this.”

“And? What did you learn?”

“I have to admire your diligence but you certainly have room for improvement.”

Ezio set his jaw and stopped walking. Leonardo was enjoying himself, talking with Ezio in such a manner. Saying things he would never say to him in a normal situation. But the mask of the Dragon allowed for a certain degree of ironic honesty.

“Well, now that you’ve seen what I’m capable of, what’s keeping you from telling me more? I have to know what you meant.”

Leonardo reached in the pouch at his hip and felt around for one of his recent inventions. “There will be time for that later.”

“No, I’ve waited long enough. Tell me what you know!”

“I’m afraid I must test your patience. But we will meet again, I’m certain of it.” With that removed the capsule from his pouch and threw it at Ezio’s feet. Wisps of smoke wafted out and curled around Ezio.

“What…?”

“Don’t worry. It’s harmless, you’ll only fall asleep for a few hours.”

Ezio had enough time to mutter _“Porca l'oca...”_ before he collapsed and the night got even darker.

\----

The sun was high over Venice and the light reflected off the canals. Ezio pulled his hood down a little farther to try and block out some of the rays. From his position on top of the Scuola Grande, he could just see over the rooftops of the city. The domes of the Basilica were not far off and Ezio glared at the campanile jutting out from among the other buildings. 

When the guard on the neighboring Santi Giovanni finally took notice of him, Ezio leapt off the arch and sprinted back toward the lagoon. The guard jumped the gap between the buildings and approached Ezio as the assassin sprang over the side and dove into the water.

He took a breath before he hit and stayed submerged. The voices outside of the water were muffled but he could hear the guard shouting for his whereabouts. After a moment, his voice faded away as he gave up and returned to his post and Ezio came up for air. He rolled his eyes at the guard’s retreating back, laughing at his pitiful attentiveness and scouting. 

He kicked off and swam along the waterway on the outskirts of the city. He swam by a frightened gondolier and under a bridge into the city. As he approached the next bridge, he happened to see Leonardo walking along, keeping his head down. Smiling, Ezio paddled up to the bridge and waited for Leonardo to pass overhead.

“Leonardo.”

The artist stopped in his tracks and looked around. Ezio could see the confusion in his eyes as he failed to locate the voice. The man took a few steps forward and Ezio called his name again. A flicker of panic crossed his friend’s face as he tried to find who was calling his name.

Laughing, Ezio pulled himself up on to one of the striped posts protruding from the canal waters and balanced on his toes.  
Leonardo held a hand to his heart and breathed out a sigh of relief. “Ezio. Thank goodness, I thought I was going out of my head. What are you doing here?”

Ezio leapt forward and caught the lip of the bridge. Leonardo backpedaled to avoid the water droplets raining off of Ezio as he moved. The assassin climbed up nimbly and swung his legs over the side to land on solid ground.

“You seem to be improving remarkably,” Leonardo commented.

Ezio wrung out some of the water from his sash and tunic. “Yes, I’ve been much better. Although I still must appear as a novice to the Dragon.”

Leonardo kept his expression steady. “You found him again then?”

“Yes, a few nights ago. We did not speak much before he disappeared again but at least I know he is still out there.”

The two of them began walking back in the direction of Leonardo’s workshop. “You don’t seem as angry when you speak of him this time.” It was an observation but there was an unspoken question along with it.

Ezio pulled off his hood and took his hair down, shaking out some of the water before tying it back up again. He seemed to ponder Leonardo’s statement and the two walked in silence while he turned his thoughts over. “I don’t know how to explain it. There is a part of me that resents him but another part that feels guilty for judging him before I understand everything. One half despises him for being so elusive but dangling his presence in front of me while the other half respects his skill and the work he is doing now. It’s as though my thoughts are at war with one another and I can’t decide how to feel.”

Leonardo shifted the parcel he was carrying under the other arm and put his hand on Ezio’s arm. “You shouldn’t torture yourself about this. You’re not letting anyone down by being curious. In fact, your father would appreciate you not rushing in blindly.” He could see Ezio fighting back the color rising in his cheeks. 

Instead of responding, Ezio threw his hood back up and avoided the subject. “I’m taking a boat and returning to Monteriggioni for a few days. I need to check in on my family and see if my mother can tell me anything I have not already learned. You will keep your eyes and ears open for me, won’t you?”

Leonardo ducked his head. “Of course, my friend. You can count on me.”

“Thank you, Leonardo.” Ezio placed a hand on his shoulder for a brief moment before running off down an alley and disappearing around the corner. The crowd continued to bustle along but Leonardo remained still, staring down the alleyway where Ezio had gone. It was a strange sensation he felt tugging at his core, one he couldn’t quite identify. But he felt his life being torn in two different directions. On the one side, he was Leonardo da Vinci: the artist, the inventor, the friend. It was the side he’d grown accustomed to. Days spent painting and sketching, building and shaping. Some days a lot of his work ended up in the fire, dismissed as impossible or not good enough. There were some days that were less productive than others but even on the bad days it was a good life. Simple, but good.

On the other side, he felt himself being drawn down the alleyway after Ezio. His midnight masquerades were few and far between now but the Dragon used to be a part of him. 

When he was fourteen, Leonardo’s father apprenticed him to a man called Verrochio. It was a brilliant partnership, and under the sculptor’s teachings, Leonardo flourished as an artist. But as they worked together, Verrochio noticed Leonardo’s aptitude in other areas. He was smart, his intuition and creativity far surpassed others of his age and those much older than him as well. Not only that, Leonardo was surprisingly strong, in both body and mind. He was a wonderful conversationalist and exceedingly kind. Verrochio saw his potential early on and, after a few months of tutoring, referred him to a man named Giovanni Auditore.

When faced with the Brotherhood, Leonardo found himself having a moral crisis. He stood behind what the Brotherhood believed in: justice, purifying the corrupt, liberation. But he couldn’t bring himself to adopt their methods. He found the prospect of taking another life deplorable and refused to comply. Instead of dismissing him, Giovanni was impressed with the young boy’s strength of will. He took him in and trained him in all other areas: defense, acrobatics, blending. Leonardo became an assassin in every capacity but the word itself.

With both Giovanni’s and Verrochio’s help, Leonardo came up with methods to fight and serve the cause without killing. He found ways to incapacitate his targets so that he could still get his job done and the target could walk away later. Giovanni sent him out on information gathering missions, giving him a chance to flex his conversational skills.

While Giovanni held the young Leonardo in high esteem, some of the other assassins were not so convinced. They worried about Leonardo leaving loose ends; they thought by leaving victims alive he would create a trail that could be traced back to the brotherhood, leaving them exposed.

It was a valid concern, but Leonardo had a way of keeping his victims silent. Not even Giovanni knew exactly what it was but he knew Leonardo was good at his job.

And so it continued for several years, but by the time Leonardo was in his early twenties he was already considering retirement. Giovanni had his own son, Federico, to train now and needed to focus his attention elsewhere. The criticism from the other assassins was ever present and one could only bear it so long. Besides, Leonardo had apprenticed to Verrochio to develop his art, something he was getting to do less and less. So he left the Brotherhood and turned back to where he started.

He carved out a little place for himself in Florence and he was comfortable. The Auditores kept in touch with him; Giovanni’s wife had a penchant for his paintings and never failed to make him feel important. He worked to expand his wealth of knowledge, delving into anatomy, botany, architecture and everything he could possibly learn. There was always something missing though; he was always striving to make his work matter, he wanted to find his purpose. Maria always assured him he’d amount to great things but he didn’t see it.

When the rivalry between the Auditores and the Pazzis cropped up he didn’t think much of it. He was engrossed in his work and he knew Giovanni was capable of protecting himself. Even when frantic whispers among the Brotherhood reached him concerning betrayal, he didn’t give it much stock. 

But then, word came that Giovanni and two of his sons were hanged. Leonardo didn’t know what to think. It was all over so fast. His mentor and two young boys were dead and he hadn’t done a thing to stop it. He was too concerned with plant metabolism and human proportions and trying to change the world to notice that it was crashing down around him.

He tried to tell himself he was retired and that it wasn’t his concern anymore. But he knew it was useless. The guilt ate away at him terribly. The moment Ezio walked through his door, he jumped at the chance to redeem himself, even if the young boy had no idea of his involvement. Even as much as he had helped Ezio over the years, the results of his inaction continued to plague him.

His old life haunted him in a way he never managed to shrug off after that. He was content with his new life as an artist and academic but there were days when the call of the Dragon were overwhelming. There were plenty of times before Ezio’s injury that he had considered taking it back up again but decided against it. It was the prospect of another Auditore dying while he looked on, inactive, that finally changed his mind.

After the first Leap of Faith off the San Giobbe, he was surprised to find how much he missed it. As much as he loved his life as an artist, there was nothing compared to this.

If there was a way to consolidate the two successfully, he hadn’t found it. The assassin lifestyle tended to take over if allowed, which is why he was hesitant to go out as the Dragon but every once and a while. Other relationships were inclined to suffer as a part of the Brotherhood. Of course, the assassins were typically close with each other but friendships outside were either nonexistent or difficult to maintain. How Giovanni managed his career and four children, Leonardo would never know.

He wondered, as he stared down the alley, if Ezio would ever settle down. He hoped, for Ezio’s sake, that he would. Thoughts of Ezio as an old man, alone, still carrying the weight of the Creed was enough to bring him physical pain.  
He wondered the same about himself, but he supposed he’d already settled down. He didn’t have a family to raise but his life was domestic in its own sort of way. If he really thought about it, he never really expected to have his own family. He was too attached to his work, both varieties included. But he wasn’t sure if he was regretful or not.

Glancing down at his parcel, he thought maybe this was at least one thing the typical domestic family didn’t have. Inside was a set of elegant but ferocious throwing knives. Each one was specially designed by Leonardo himself to suit his own special purposes. He was on his way home from having them polished. It was the final step in becoming a fully-fledged assassin again. He could have written off his previous exploits as simply an urge to run, to be free of the workshop for even a few hours. But now he was armed and dangerous and it would be hard to turn back from here.

By now, though, he knew he didn’t want to. As he stared down the alleyway, all he wanted to do was follow. He supposed that was the sensation that he was feeling: longing.


	5. Chapter 5

Ezio skirted the sight of a guard and ran across the courtyard of the Santo Stefano. He’d spent the last several hours visiting all of the Dragon’s usual stakeouts only to find him frustratingly absent. He’d only returned to Venice from Monterigionni a few days ago, but already he was itching to find the Dragon again. There wasn’t really a precise explanation as to why this mysterious figure had taken such a hold in his life, but explanation or not, he was hooked and that was that.

On their first meeting, Ezio had been irrationally angry. He’d let his judgment be clouded by vengeance instead of listening to the facts. Then there was the dissonance between the city rumors, La Volpe’s intel, and the Dragon’s own confession. Somehow, his anger was transformed into intense curiosity which evolved into fascination. He couldn’t explain it, he just knew he had to find out more.

The last place he knew of that the Dragon frequented was not far ahead. As he approached the Ponte di Rialto, he could see the moonlight reflecting off the canal. A silhouette stood atop one of the rows of shops like a sentry but Ezio knew at once it did not belong to a guard.

Deciding not to sneak up on him, Ezio climbed the opposite side of the bridge and emerged facing the Dragon.

“I would prefer it if you stayed on that side,” the Dragon said, not moving from his statuesque position.

“And why is that?”

“If I’m going to tell you this, I’d rather your blade be more than an arm’s length from me.”

Ezio help up his hands in surrender and settled down on his side of the bridge. “This is a little out in the open, isn’t it?”

The Dragon relaxed his posture and sat down as well. “Sometimes, plain sight is the best place to hide.”

“You seem like you know this firsthand.”

The Dragon waved him off and didn’t answer. “You’ve been speaking to La Volpe, have you not?”

“What business is it of yours?”

“He is an old colleague, I simply wondered if he remembered me.”

“Not very fondly, as it were.”

“It doesn’t surprise me. My methods were rather unorthodox. I suppose that didn’t sit well with him.”

Ezio watched the Dragon’s movements carefully. With his face hidden, he could not glean anything from his expression but his body language said just as much as the spoken word. His arms and legs were uncrossed but at the same time his shoulders were hunched. He kept his palms up but he also fiddled with his fingers. Ezio figured whatever he had to say would be the truth, but perhaps not all of it.

“As you know, I once lived in Firenze. And I did know your father.”

Ezio remained silent and waited for him to continue. 

“He was a mentor and a dear friend of mine. He taught me everything I know and there will never be words for how much he did for me.”

Leonardo felt his throat constricting and he steeled himself against the onslaught of guilt and regret that resurfaced whenever he recounted this.

“I followed his lead for years but it got to be too much for me and I left.” He paused, thinking through his words to make certain he didn’t accidentally out himself. “I spent a lot of time keeping clear of the life and pursued my own interests.

“When the rumors started circulating, I ignored them at first. It wasn’t my responsibility anymore. Everything beyond my new limited lifestyle was none of my concern.” He took a deep breath, fearing how Ezio would react to the next part. “I started hearing things, more rumors, but I didn’t know what to make of them. I continued working and ignored the signs I should have taken note of. And then...he was dead and I hadn’t lifted a finger to stop it.”

There was a long silence between them. It stretched out much longer than Leonardo had anticipated. Ezio hadn’t moved; he wasn’t sure how to interpret that. Finally, Ezio stood and Leonardo did also, taking a subtly defensive stance in case Ezio lashed out.

Instead, Ezio was still and his voice was soft. “Why are you telling me this?”

“He was your father. You deserve to know all of the circumstances surrounding his death, no matter the implications.”

Ezio placed a hand against one of the wooden beams of the bridge. He seemed to be breathing heavily. Leonardo wasn’t sure how to classify this reaction but he thought now might be a good time to take his leave. He turned his back and began walking down the slope toward the nearest building when Ezio’s voice made him stop.

“What brought you back?”

Leonardo turned around, trying to think of how to tell Ezio the truth without giving himself away. “He who does not punish evil, commands it to be done.” And with that he left, afraid if he stayed any longer, his emotions would get the better of him.

\----

“Ezio, Marco Barbarigo has already begun to move in on the palace. The Venetian Great Council gains power every day. We need to move quickly.”

“I know, Antonio--”

“Grimaldi was a major step forward but their web is wide. We still have much to do.”

“I’m taking care of it, Antonio. But these things take time.”

The thief shuffled some papers on the table and shook his head a small smile on his lips. “Don’t let this Dragon get the better of you. There are more important things.”

“Have a little faith, _saputo_ , I know what I’m doing.”

Antonio raised an eyebrow but didn’t contest him. With a nod, Ezio left the Palazzo and started walking toward Leonardo’s workshop in the interest of handing over a few more Codex pages.

He took one out of his tunic and unrolled it, looking at the jumble of letters and symbols on the page. After a few minutes, he gave up and tucked it back into place, more than happy to let Leonardo take care of it. How he managed to take what looked like meaningless nonsense and translate it into something profound would never cease to amaze him.

When he reached the workshop, he knocked on the door but let himself in. “ _Salute_ , Leonardo,” he greeted.

The artist was, once again, poised on his step stool, fiddling with the rocky outcrop. “Ah, _salute_ , Ezio. What brings you here?”

Ezio pulled out the Codex pages and lifted them up for Leonardo to see before setting them on the table. “A few more mysteries for you to solve.”

Leonardo climbed down from his perch and crossed the workshop. “It seems your ancestor had much to share with you. Although you seem to be finding these less and less often.”

“I’ve been otherwise occupied, I haven’t had as much time to look.”

Leonardo kept his voice even as he flipped through the new pages. “You’re talking about this Dragon, am I right?”

“Yes. I came across him again last night.”

“Why don’t you keep me company while I decipher these,” he patted the scrolls, “and tell me about it.”

Leonardo got to work on breaking Altaïr’s code while he listened to Ezio recount their meeting.

If anything, Ezio seemed more confused. Previously, his reactions to the Dragon had been diametric. Either he was very angry or inexplicably exulted. But now it seemed these two emotions were reaching a puzzling compromise. Every sentence he recalled about the encounter came out as a question, like Ezio couldn’t find the words to explain all the conflicting sentiments raging inside his head.

On the one hand, Leonardo felt guilty for somewhat leading him on. This persona had gotten quite out of hand. It was never his intention to become this involved and every meeting only made things more complicated.

Then on the other hand, he thought the Dragon was good for Ezio, in a manner of speaking. Although not in the way he had planned, the Dragon was giving Ezio some kind of closure.

“It shouldn’t make sense, but I feel closer to him than people I’ve known for years. We are one in the same,” Ezio was saying.

“How do you mean?”

“We’re both victims of ignorance. We both watched my father die after finding out too late we could have saved him. We may have been in different situations, but I think he felt as helpless as I did.”  
Leonardo could say nothing, for he feared if he opened his mouth, his ruse would be shattered. And although he could say nothing to convey it, Ezio’s words lifted a weight off of him that had been bearing him down for years.

As he waited on the Rialto last night, he’d almost left several times. He couldn’t help but think Ezio would hate him again once he told the story, that he’d blame him for his inaction. Instead, Ezio was forgiving him and that was more than he could have hoped for.

“If it’s alright with you, I think I’ll come back for those later. I have other matters to attend to,” Ezio said, rising from the couch and walking to the door.

Leonardo turned away and nodded, worried that if he spoke it would betray the emotional turmoil he was experiencing.

Ezio took his leave, assuming Leonardo was simply wrapped up in his work, which was not unusual.

When he was alone, Leonardo brushed away the Codex and pressed his palms to eyes. However unexpected and impulsive this turn in the Dragon’s relationship with Ezio, he couldn’t help but feel it was for the better.

\----

The few torches that were lit did little to illuminate the courtyard of the Doge’s palace but gave off just enough light for Leonardo to keep an eye on the group of guards gathered around an ornate crate. He was crouched in front of the wrought iron fencing, just out of sight of the nearest watchman but still within view of the courtyard.

“I’m getting better at this, am I not?”

Somehow, Leonardo kept from leaping out of his skin as Ezio appeared beside him.

“How often do you find you need to sneak up on an ally?”

“Often enough to keep me amused. What has happened so far?”

“Not much of anything. They’ve just been standing around.”

“How riveting.”

Leonardo would have enjoyed the company if it were not for the fact that he had spent far too much time with Ezio already. He was clever, but even he couldn’t keep the Dragon’s façade in such close quarters with Ezio for long.

“It’s not exactly a job worthy of two men,” he said, hoping Ezio would take the hint.

Ezio stared at him for a moment. “Are you saying you don’t want me here?” His voice had an arch tone to it and Leonardo had the feeling his chances of shaking Ezio were slim.

“I only meant your talents could be put to better use elsewhere.”

“Perhaps not. Things seem to be picking up.” He gestured down at the courtyard. The guards had picked up the gilded chest and were walking toward the gate.

Still hesitant about Ezio’s involvement, Leonardo crept over the roof and positioned himself so he could see the exit.

“Are we tailing or stealing?” Ezio asked, crouched next to him.

“Just watching and waiting for now.”

The outfit of guards stopped at the gate and exchanged a few words with those soldiers. After several moments, four more guards arrived and surrounded the group carrying the chest. Then they were off, heading down the street to wherever they were going.

Ezio and Leonardo slunk after them, letting them get a bit ahead before leaping nimbly from the palace roof to a neighboring building. They followed the group of guards for over a mile but they didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. 

By the time they were approaching the San Pietro di Castello, Ezio was getting restless. “This is taking forever. I’m going to die _dalla noia_.”

“I never asked you to come along,” the Dragon said.

Ezio ignored him and peered over the edge of the roof they were on. The guards had paused for a moment to regroup and were just getting ready to move out again.

“What are they even transporting?” He moved to get a better view but Leonardo grabbed his arm and hauled him away. They shuffled back and Ezio’s foot kicked off a cloud of dust and spray of pebbles. The guards below looked up at the disturbance and saw the rustle of Ezio’s cape.

“ _Assassino!_ ” one of them cried.

“ _Figlio di puttana_ ,” Ezio and Leonardo muttered. They took off running across the rooftops, leaping obstacles as they came along. A few of the guards began to scale the building while some tried to follow below and still a couple stayed behind with the chest.

The shouts of the guards drew the attention of soldiers stationed in standard places around the city and soon Leonardo and Ezio had a horde of almost twenty guards on their tail approaching from different angles and they knew they were going to run out of twists and turns soon.

“We could take them!” Ezio said, swinging on a beam to land on the next rooftop.

“Perhaps you should take a moment to ponder the difference between can and should,” Leonardo answered, launching off a signpost.

“Well, we can’t keep running all night.”

“An astute observation.” Leonardo was already calculating other options, visualizing the streets in front of them and the directions of the guards. “This way!”

They took a left turn and dashed across a wire. They dropped down in the back court of some house and hopped the fence. Rounding another corner, they were briefly out of sight of the guards.

“We’ll have to hide,” the Dragon said, steering Ezio toward a cart standing just off to the side of the road.

Leonardo dove into the haystack and Ezio hurled himself in after. They shuffled a bit to get the hay to settle again but Leonardo was left pinned underneath Ezio, one elbow jabbing uncomfortably into his ribs. But the pounding footsteps of the guards were not far behind and they couldn’t risk moving lest they betray their position.

It was pitch black; Leonardo could feel Ezio breathing but he couldn’t see him at all. Ezio had grabbed on to his sleeve and that elbow was pushing painfully into his diaphragm. The other hand was braced against his chest, keeping Ezio from collapsing on top of him.

When the shouts subsided, they waited another few minutes to be absolutely sure they were safe. Just when Leonardo though he was going to scream in pain, Ezio moved his arm and Leonardo heard it land somewhere next to his ear.

Leonardo let out a relieved breath but knew he was going to bruise there.

“Are you alright?” Ezio asked, his voice coming from almost directly above.

“Fine, yes.”

“Good.”

Leonardo waited a moment for Ezio to move so they could get out but he didn’t. Instead he felt Ezio’s hand slide up his chest and then his fingers pushing aside his hood.

Ezio’s fingertips were calloused against Leonardo’s cheek as he traced the outline of his mask and started to tug it downward.

Leonardo should have panicked. He should have worried about exposing his identity and everything falling to pieces. He should have protested and pushed him away. He should have done something.

But he didn’t because Ezio was kissing him and that became everything. It started off slow as they tried to find other in the dark but then Ezio fell against him and it was uncertain but powerful and channeled everything Ezio had been keeping pent up in the past few months. He could feel the anger in the pull of his teeth and the passion in the swipe of his tongue. There was caution when he paused for breath but the overwhelming need for connection when he leaned back in.

Leonardo tried to bring his hands up to pull Ezio closer but it was over as quickly as it started and Ezio was gone. He was left alone in the dark to piece together all of the sensations. At first, he was motionless, letting the weight of the moment sink in. Then, as the world caught up to him, he pulled his mask back up and climbed out of the cart. Ezio was out of sight by now and Leonardo was too distracted to worry if he was still around, keeping an eye on him.

He trudged back to his workshop and had the presence of mind to loop around and weave, dodging the guards and hopefully shaking anyone who might have been tailing him.

Dropping down from the roof hatch, he shed his assassin gear before flopping down on his bed. There was no denying that he enjoyed the kiss, but it also made things immensely more complicated. At what point had things gone so far downhill?

Leonardo sighed and pulled the sheet over himself. Whatever was going to happen in response to this new development, he had the feeling that it couldn't be good.


	6. Chapter 6

Perching atop the campanile in broad daylight wasn’t the brightest idea, but Ezio didn’t care. Being so high above the city brought him clarity and that’s precisely what he was searching for at the moment.

It had been over a week since the incident in the haystack and little else had crossed Ezio’s mind. Of course, he was still taking care of his other duties but his head wasn’t quite in it.

Thinking back, he wasn’t sure exactly what made him do it. It was a heated impulse but there was more to it than that. If it had just been a rash, heat of the moment decision he shouldn’t have felt so consumed by it, right?

It was just a kiss; Ezio had kissed a lot of people, why was this one such a big deal? He didn’t know the Dragon well at all, he shouldn’t be so intrigued. He didn’t even know if he could really trust him. Perhaps that was part of what made it exciting, playing with fire.

His back twinged painfully and he decided it was probably best to retire for the day. He’d improved in leaps and bounds but there were still days that took their toll on him. Besides, the breakneck dash through the city the other night hadn’t helped matters.

He launched off the campanile, remembering too late that he probably shouldn’t have and realizing halfway down that it was going to be a painful landing.

\----

Leonardo was sitting on the floor of his workspace, gazing up at his painting, trying to figure out what do and where to go with it. Much of the time, he lost interest in his projects and once they failed to captivate him, he abandoned them, moving on to other things. But this one hadn’t lost him yet, he was just stumped by it. Something about it was wrong but he couldn’t identify it. The positioning or the color or the subjects, whatever it was, it was eluding him.

There was pounding on his door and he considered not answering, wrapped up in his thoughts. But something in the knocking sounded desperate and he acquiesced, heaving himself up to open the door.

He was greeted by the frightened face of Rosa and he was immediately concerned.

“Signore Da Vinci, have you seen Ezio?”

“No, not since yesterday,” he replied, wondering what could have happened in that time that had Rosa so up in arms.

“We think he has been captured. The Templars have been planning something for a long time. We fear the worst.”

Leonardo didn’t know what to say. “What do you need me to do?” he finally asked.

“We know you and Ezio are close, and that he talks to the Dragon. Has he told you anything that might help us locate him? We’ve tried everything else.”

Leonardo was panic stricken again. He and the Dragon had now reached a crossroads. His identity was at stake but was losing it worth Ezio’s life? Of course not. This whole façade was for him. If he were to die, it would all be for naught. But if he was careful, he might be able to save both.

“He has told me some of the places you are most likely to find him. But I cannot guarantee he will be there.”

“We must try, though,” Rosa implored.

Leonardo listed off a few of the city’s landmarks, far enough from the workshop to keep the assassins from accidentally stumbling on to his path.

“Thank you, maestro.” Rosa turned and ran off to spread the word. As soon as she was out of sight, Leonardo shut and bolted the door, ripping off his clothes and changing into the Dragon’s as swiftly as possible. He was still tying on his sash as he tore out of the roof hatch.

His mind was racing faster than his feet as he sprinted through the streets in a haphazard direction, trying to calculate what spots would be in this direction and adjusted his course accordingly. He had a long ways to go but the adrenaline kept him moving. His boots thundered over the cobblestones but he couldn’t go fast enough. Every passing minute was another minute Ezio might not survive.

Just when he thought he might run out of breath, the tower of the Madonna dell’Orto came into view. Ignoring his burning lungs, Leonardo ducked behind the church and double checked that his uniform was still in place. A quick glance at the plaza didn’t reveal any of the other assassins so Leonardo collapsed against the wall, trying desperately to regulate his breathing before someone showed up.

Somewhere among the crowd, Leonardo finally spotted Machiavelli. Knowing the man to have a sharp eye, Leonardo stepped out from behind the church and walked slowly across the alley to the bell tower and sat down on the bench there. Just as he expected, a few moments later a figure sat down next to him but Leonardo didn’t look up. “I heard you were looking for me.”

Machiavelli swept a few pebbles off the bench. “I assume I don’t need to explain the situation.”

Leonardo nodded.

“Good, the less time we waste with meaningless chatter the better. We’ve already made several inquiries but at the moment we are sitting and waiting for more information.”

“It has long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sit back and let things happen to them. They go out and happen to things.”

Machiavelli gave him a long, hard look. “I will admit that I had my doubts about you, Dragon. But if you can help save this boy, the Brotherhood will be in your debt.”

Leonardo stood up. “I already owe the Brotherhood many things. Saving Ezio’s life would only bring me a step closer to redemption. You will owe me nothing.”

Before Machiavelli could answer, Leonardo ran off, his mind already tabulating all the known Templar controlled districts and known hideouts and cross referencing them with Ezio’s last known location. Deciding one of the smaller Templar lairs would be a good place to start, Leonardo changed direction and sprinted toward the San Giobbe. 

Over the months during his masquerades as the Dragon, Leonardo had acquired a few Templar informants, albeit unwilling ones. There was a small house on the bank of the canal, just before it opened out into the lagoon, where one such man lived and that’s where Leonardo was heading now. 

As he approached the house, he didn’t bother knocking but barreled into the door so that it splintered off its hinges. The man, Salvatore, sat at his table and leapt up when Leonardo made his entrance.

“Dragon! Wh—what are you doing here?” he stammered, backing against the wall.

Leonardo wasted no time in taking Salvatore by the neck and holding him to the wall. “What have the Templars done with Ezio Auditore?”

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“I have very little time, Salvatore. Tell me what I need to know.”

“I don’t know anything!”

Leonardo flicked his wrist so that his hidden blade extended just far enough for Salvatore to feel the metal at his throat. The man whimpered and held up his hands.

“If I tell you anything they will have me killed.”

“If you tell me nothing, I will kill you. Choose your timeframe wisely.”

“ _Vai all’inferno!_ ” Salvatore spat.

“ _Con piacere_.” Leonardo pushed the blade out a little further and Salvatore screamed.

“A church! There’s a secret room there.”

“Which church?”

“The Santa Maria dei Frari. That’s all I know!”

“No…” Leonardo breathed. If Salvatore was telling the truth, Ezio was hidden right at his doorstep from the beginning.

“Yes, I swear it!”

With a swift flick of his other wrist, Leonardo injected Salvatore with a sleeping drug. The man collapsed to the floor within minutes. When he awoke he would have an awful headache and a broken door but no memory of acquiring either.

Without another second’s hesitation, Leonardo flew out of the house and back across the city. The Frari was mere steps from his workshop; if Ezio died that close to his home he would never forgive himself. By now his body was screaming at him to slow down but he forced himself to go faster, the red brick of the Frari just visible in the fading sunlight over the tops of the buildings. 

The muscles in his legs protested violently as Leonardo scaled the side the church and he was sure it was only sheer determination to find Ezio in time that kept him from falling to his death. On the rooftop, Leonardo knocked out a few guards while searching for some secret entrance into the Templar’s lair. He didn’t exactly know what he was looking for but as soon as he saw it he was sure. Under any other circumstances he would have laughed at the forthrightness of the red cross on the door but at the moment he was too preoccupied with busting it down to care.

He leapt down from the tower entrance into the ground floor of building. At this time of night, the place was completely empty and the cavernous sanctuary felt eerie and foreboding. The hidden room Salvatore mentioned must be somewhere underground but there were a thousand places that the entrance could be located.   
With no other ideas he began at the left wall and worked his way around the perimeter of the church, inspecting every nook and cranny, every ornate carving and decoration but nothing moved. He was growing increasingly frustrated; Ezio was right below his feet and he could do nothing about it. Craning his neck back, he noticed that the stained glass windows were actually set in alcoves, the lower half of which were blocked off. The smooth marble offered no handholds for him to climb so instead Leonardo shimmied up a pillar and jumped the gap, grabbing hold of the wall’s ledge at the last moment. Carefully, he inched along the wall and peered into every recess until he came across one that was deeper and darker than all the others.

He couldn’t quite see the bottom and if he was wrong about this he’d have no way to climb back up. Taking a deep breath, he thought back to the times he stood on the corner of the San Giobbe, contemplating whether or not to jump. Three times his fear got the better of him. On the fourth night the thought that finally pushed him quite literally over the edge was that Ezio needed help. And the consequences were even direr now. So Leonardo summoned his faith and took the leap.


	7. Chapter 7

The room was dark.

There was blood. In his mouth. In his nose. His eyes. His ears.

And pain. Constant. Every part of him hurt.

Was it really even dark? Or could he no longer open his eyes? He couldn’t tell the difference anymore…

\----

It was another moment where Leonardo might have laughed at the convenience of the situation if not for the present circumstances. He supposed the Templars must have needed a way down as well but the fact that a haystack lay at the bottom of every pitfall seemed too good to be true.

Brushing himself off, Leonardo staggered toward the door on the opposite end of the chamber. By now, the men’s voices were clearer. They were taunting and every few seconds Leonardo could hear the sound of a fist connecting with a jaw.

Leonardo grabbed the handle and yanked it out before rotating it so the mechanisms clicked into place. In the split second before it opened, the possibility that this was all a trap crossed his mind. But did it really matter? Not now.

The door slid up and opened into what looked like a strong room. Chests, gold coins, and artifacts lined the walls. But all of that was irrelevant. In the center of the room, Ezio, bruised and bloodied and bound, was being held down on his knees while three other men took turns ruthlessly beating him. 

The four men paused when Leonardo appeared on the threshold and Ezio spit out a mouthful of blood before muttering “ _Alla buon’ora_.” The Templar holding Ezio’s shoulders pushed him over, Ezio’s head making a dull thud as it hit the stone floor. The man put his heel to Ezio’s neck and held it there, warning Leonardo not to come any closer.

“Well, well, looks like the Dragon decided to fly in after all.”

Leonardo held his ground and said nothing. The three other Templars unsheathed their weapons and advanced on the Dragon slowly.

“I suggest you take this moment to depart peaceably and intact, boys,” Leonardo warned. “Any longer and you won’t have the luxury.”

They all laughed. “Make any move at all and I will crush your friend’s neck.”

Playing along for the time being, Leonardo held up his hands as they forced him down on his knees and one put a knife to his throat. “Besides,” the largest of them said, “we’ve heard about you and your methods. You can’t even kill, can you, _codardo?_ It goes against your moral code.” They all laughed again.

“Only nature never breaks her own laws,” Leonardo said calmly. Before the Templars could say anything in return, he sent one of his throwing knives into the throat of the man standing over Ezio. He stumbled back, clutching the wound, and tripped over a pile of gold. In another swift movement, Leonardo elbowed the knee of his captor as hard as he could, flinching at the sickening crunch of bone. 

With him incapacitated, Leonardo sprang to his feet and braced himself as the two others rushed forward. He managed to duck under the first swing but the second clipped his shoulder and he hissed as he felt his skin tear open. 

He let fly three more knives and one of the men went down. The last man standing brandished his sword and charged. As he swung the weapon over his head Leonardo caught his wrists and twisted, kneeing him in the groin at the same time. The man cried out as he dropped his sword and it clattered to the ground. The man lashed out and clawed at Leonardo’s face; he caught hold of his mask and ripped it off just seconds before Leonardo plunged his hidden blade under the man’s ear and into his brain. As the body dropped, Leonardo stepped around and approached the Templar with the broken leg.

“Please, please no,” he stuttered but Leonardo gritted his teeth and snapped his neck. 

Finally, Leonardo rushed to Ezio’s side and cut the ties binding his hands behind his back. There was blood caked all over his face and his uniform torn in several places. He was barely breathing.

“ _Dio Mio_ , Ezio…” Leonardo whispered, placing his hand lightly on the assassin’s cheek. 

A ragged breath escaped Ezio’s mouth and he began choking on his own blood. Leonardo turned him on his side as gently as possible so he wouldn’t drown in it but he needed to get him out; he could do little there. 

Knowing there was no way back up through the church, Leonardo began examining the room for an alternate exit. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found it within a few minutes, pushing on a brick so that a wall panel slid open. But his relief was short-lived when the door opened into a small area with only a ladder stretching up and disappearing into the darkness.

Ezio was certainly in no condition to climb and Leonardo wasn’t sure he had the strength left to carry him. But his options were gravely limited at the moment; he didn’t have much other choice. Leonardo first scaled the ladder by himself and discovered it led to a manhole covering opening out into the plaza just across from his workshop. 

With every precious second working against him, Leonardo once again knelt at Ezio’s side. “I’m sorry, my friend. This will not be pleasant for you.” He took the rope he had just cut from Ezio’s wrists and tied it on again, this time with his arms in front of him. 

Gingerly, he pulled Ezio’s body over to the ladder before propping him up against the wall. His friend’s head lolled to the side and he heard a faint whimper. 

“ _Mi dispiace tanto_ ,” Leonardo said before slipping Ezio’s arms over his head like a satchel. He took a second to accommodate the extra weight before gripping the first rung of the ladder and starting to climb. The exertion from all the evening’s undertakings was making Leonardo sick to his stomach but every time he wanted to stop for breath was another time Ezio might not take another. So he pushed on until finally they emerged into the fresh, night air, free of the suffocating depths of the catacombs.

Leonardo edged forward on his stomach inch by inch until the both of them were clear of the opening. Standing back up, he readjusted Ezio one more time before hobbling through the plaza and across the bridge. 

At last, when they made it inside the workshop, Leonardo laid Ezio down on the couch and cut the bonds on his hands again before rushing back out in search of a doctor. It was late but he didn’t bother keeping his voice down as he sprinted through the streets shouting for help. Even at this hour the market still held a sizeable crowd but the birdlike masks of the healers made them easy to spot. 

“Bring me your sick and wounded,” the doctor called out to the passing civilians but Leonardo shook his head as he approached.

“Signore, my friend is grievously injured. Please, come quickly,” he implored.

Gathering up his bag, the doctor instructed Leonardo to lead the way.

\----

The last thing Ezio remembered was a hopeless, endless darkness. So when he first opened his eyes to the warm, bright sun the stark contrast left his head spinning. The light was overwhelming and he couldn't tell where he was. There was a voice coming from his left but when he tried to turn his head in that direction his body was wracked with pain. His mind was thrown back to when he first woke up from his back injury and for a moment he wondered if he was dead or perhaps hallucinating. 

He felt a hand on his cheek and a voice trying to talk him back to the present.

"It's alright, Ezio. You're safe now."

That was Leonardo's voice. The familiar sound helped set his mind at ease and he tried opening his eyes again, careful to keep the rest of his body still. Leonardo drew away as his vision came into focus.

He recognized the courtyard outside of Leonardo's workshop and tried to remember why he was there.

"My workshop was closest and you were in a bad condition. They thought it best not to move you very much. But I thought the sunlight might do you good for a little while," Leonardo said as if he anticipated Ezio's question. The artist was sitting in a chair next to the cot Ezio was laid out on, drawing idly on a large piece of paper. 

“What…what happened?” 

Leonardo didn’t look up from his sketching. “You were captured by a group of Templars. When you went missing, Rosa and the others looked for you of course but they were having little luck. As I understand it, Machiavelli managed to locate this Dragon friend of yours. He is the one who found you and brought you here.”

Flashes of red and white crossed Ezio’s eyes at the mention of the Dragon, he heard the echo of shouts in a hollow room, and his chest constricted in pain as the memory enveloped his senses but it was gone as quickly as it had come. 

“It seems the Templars were trying to draw him out and were using you as bait, otherwise you might have been killed. You were lucky,” Leonardo continued.

“I don’t feel very lucky,” Ezio groaned. He looked down at his body which was bandaged in several places and covered in an array of bruises so colorful that it looked as if Leonardo had used him as the canvas for some kind of experimental painting project. There were rope burns on his wrists and every bit of him was tender so that even the simple shirt he was wearing felt heavy. 

“You’re alive and that’s what matters,” Leonardo said. “The doctor said you will heal just fine given the time. And considering you were already in a fragile state I’d say yes, you were very lucky. Lucky that the Templars seemed to have severely underestimated the Dragon as well.”

Ezio smiled a little at that. “It doesn’t surprise me. He is a difficult man to comprehend. Did you meet him, then? When he brought me here.”

Leonardo’s hand stilled and he hesitated before answering. “It happened very fast. He brought you in and went to find a doctor and then disappeared. Not even a word.”

A silence fell between them and Leonardo went back to his drawing. Ezio listened to the birds chirping and watched the shadows of the tree branches sway on the ground. He had a feeling he’d be sore for a long while but Leonardo was right, it was nice being outdoors. Even though he didn’t remember much of anything about that night, the feeling of suffocating darkness was enough to make him want to revel in the sunshine for a long while. 

Leonardo gave Ezio a sidelong glance, watching him study the design around the rim of the well. He wondered for a moment whether or not to hold his tongue but he had to know for sure. “Ezio…” 

“Hm?”

“What…what all do you remember?”

Ezio put a hand on his forehead and closed his eyes. “Very little. I remember it being very dark and there being a lot of blood. But the rest only comes in pieces. The last clear thing I remember is being on top of the campanile. After that…I’m not sure what is true and what is not.”

Leonardo nodded but didn’t say anything. Ezio looked lost and confused but it was better that way. As much as Leonardo wanted to see Ezio okay, revealing his identity now wouldn’t do either of them any favors. 

\----

Every time someone told Ezio to slow down and take it easy, he would scoff and roll his eyes but the truth of it was he was enjoying his time off. The Templars were quiet for now and there were no other immediate threats demanding his attention so he was content for once to sit back and rest. Of course, his back was giving him the most trouble but his other wounds had healed significantly in the two weeks that passed since he’d woken up outside of Leonardo’s. 

Lately he’d taken to walking around the city to nowhere in particular, just enjoying watching the scenery pass as it did in everyone else’s eyes instead of seeing it in a blur as he leapt over rooftops or chased his latest target. He’d wander through the marketplace or around the docks, watching the people and thinking about how they knew nothing about what went on right under their noses. And although he was supposed to be on leave, he was always on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. 

His memories of the rescue were as hazy as ever. Try as he might he couldn’t recall anything beyond a general feeling. A few nights he’d gone to sit outside the Dragon’s frequent hiding spots, hoping he could provide some answers but the man was disappointingly absent. By now he knew that if the Dragon had anything to say, he would make sure to find Ezio and say it. Otherwise, the chances of finding him were slim to none.

One afternoon during his stroll, Ezio wandered by Leonardo’s workshop and decided to drop in. Without bothering to knock, Ezio swung open the front door and walked in to find Leonardo once again up on his scaffold attending to his painting.

“Still not finished with that?” he joked, stopping at the base and crossing his arms.

“These things take time, Ezio,” Leonardo said without looking away from his work. He was mixing colors to find the perfect shade for Gabriel’s cloak, a business that required a fair amount of concentration. He had several items spread out on the platform to serve as references: an apple, his cap, a flower, and a sash.

Draped over the railing of the scaffolding, there was nothing about the sash that was out of the ordinary. There was nothing exceptional about it that should have attracted Ezio’s attention and yet he found himself staring at it unable to look away. There was something so familiar about it but he couldn’t place it.

It felt like the floor opened up beneath him and he was falling back into the pit where the Templars were keeping him. Someone punched him in the jaw and he spit out a mouthful of blood. A door grated open and a blurry figure stepped through. He heard himself say “ _Alla buon’ora_ ” before he was hit on the head and everything went black again.

The resurfacing memory took the breath out of him and left him weak at the knees. He fell against the scaffolding and clutched at his chest, sucking in as much air as he could hold until the world turned right side up.

“Ezio! What’s the matter? Is everything alright?” Leonardo scrambled down from his perch and put his hand on Ezio’s back to steady him. 

“What…what is…that?” Ezio asked in between breaths, gesturing up at the sash.

“It’s nothing, just an old piece of cloth I found lying around. Why? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know,” Ezio replied. The room was still spinning but he had to move. “I have to go.”

“No, you should sit down. I’ll get you some water,” Leonardo said, trying to direct Ezio over to the couch. 

Ezio pushed him away and stumbled toward the door. “I’ll be fine…I just need to…get some fresh air.”

Leonardo wrung his hands and watched him go.

\----

It was reckless being out at night in disguise, especially just after the near disastrous episode with the sash a few days ago, but Leonardo needed to clear his head and this was the best way he knew how. It had been careless of him to have the Dragon’s belt lying around. Fortunately for him Ezio hadn’t recognized it right away but it had certainly triggered something in his mind. Leonardo’s plan was hanging precariously in the balance and part of him wished it would tip over already. 

He hadn’t gone out as the Dragon since the rescue partially because he knew it was risky but also because the events of that night were plaguing his conscience. In the moment, killing those men had been a reaction. With Ezio’s life in danger, there wasn’t much time to think. He did what he felt he had to do in order to get Ezio out alive. But after the dust had settled, the weight of his actions began to affect him. Four men were dead by his hand. He’d killed before but it was something he avoided unless absolutely necessary and each death only brought him farther and farther down. And even though they might have had blood on their hands, they also had families and the capacity to find redemption. 

It was one of the reasons Leonardo never felt entirely comfortable under the Creed. The three tenets of the Creed were created and upheld in order to ensure peace but its followers were always treading the line of moral ambiguity. How did a people who were so committed to finding peace condone murder? How did a society who promotes free thinking and open minds justify killing its members for disobedience? Was it fair that their lives were made by the death of others?

Adherence to the Creed gave people like Ezio something to look up to. He needed the security and the discipline that its tenets provided. It gave him a cause. In a sense, Leonardo supposed that was noble. As a boy, Ezio had been driven by blind hatred and a desire for vengeance. But he had been enlightened by the Creed and now he was on a quest for justice and not just revenge. There would always be a part of him that was angry and there was no doubt that when he finally held Rodrigo Borgia’s life in his hands that his mind would be on other things besides the significance of philosophy. But he had had something very dear to him torn away, wasn’t it only fair that the man responsible stand for his actions?

But where was the line drawn? Thinking about it was enough to drive a person mad. He thought that reading the pages of Altaïr’s Codex would have helped him understand but they only served to throw him into an even bigger existential crisis than before. The parts of the Creed that Leonardo found problematic Altaïr addressed and offered naught to say but “Every moment is spent wrestling with these contradictions and in spite of all the years I've had to reflect, still I can find no suitable answer... And I fear that one may not exist.”

The longer he thought about it, the less Leonardo felt he understood it. Even as an apprentice in his younger years, the gravity of life and death and the meaning of it all led him to many sleepless nights. He thought that by devoting his time to the pursuit of knowledge and filling his mind with everything the world had to offer that he might finally understand. But he didn’t feel any closer now than he did as a boy.

A scream punctuated his train of thought and he turned his head in the direction of the sound. Leonardo dropped down from the rooftop and ran in the direction of the scream. A few streets over he turned into a courtyard to find a man backing a woman into a corner. She caught sight of Leonardo and shouted for help again before the man put his hand over her mouth.

Coming up behind him, Leonardo wrapped his arm around the man’s neck and squeezed, cutting off the blood flow so that he was unconscious in a matter of seconds. He set the man against the wall and then cupped the woman’s cheek.

“Are you alright, signorina?”

“Yes, thank you. Thank you.”

“He will not be asleep for long. Do you have somewhere safe to go?”

She nodded and Leonardo urged her to leave as the man was already starting to stir. Leonardo vaulted over the courtyard wall and ducked into an alleyway before climbing back up on to the roof. It was simple interactions like those that made him feel the most proud of his job. He didn’t reveal any earthshaking conspiracies or take down a power hungry leader but he helped an innocent woman in need and nobody had to die in the process. It was a simple act but just as significant as any of the larger scale operations. How could you promote peace for all people without defending each person? Certainly work like Ezio’s was important but wasn’t this equally as vital? Both big and small, each with different implications and approach, but still working toward the same goal. Perhaps that’s what Altaïr meant when he wrote of the Creed embracing contradiction, “one may be two things–opposite in every way–simultaneously.” Maybe he had been right all along.


	8. Chapter 8

Ezio had been avoiding Leonardo’s workshop since the incident with the sash. If he was being honest with himself, he was a little embarrassed by it but he was also afraid something similar would happen again. He had tried to find out what exactly had happened but the one man who could tell him was nowhere to be found. And if the Dragon didn’t want to tell him, perhaps it wasn’t worth telling. Besides, dredging up memories of his capture was painful and by now he was comfortable with not knowing. Leonardo was right, he was alive and well and that’s what was important. 

On his now daily walks through the city, he had come across another Codex page and thought that it was as good an excuse as any to try visiting Leonardo again. And anyway, it wasn’t the man himself he was avoiding. Truth be told, he missed Leonardo’s company and he felt foolish for having to come up with excuses to go and talk to him. Regardless, he had one now so he set off for the San Polo district.

As per usual, Ezio walked in without knocking only to find the artist fast asleep on his couch. It wasn’t exceptionally early but perhaps Leonardo had had a rather sleepless night. When he was struck with an idea, it wasn’t uncommon for him to become totally enraptured by it and forgo sleep for sometimes many days. Ezio wondered what his latest stroke of genius was.

He walked over to the table at the end of the couch, intending to leave the Codex page as a surprise of sorts for when Leonardo woke up, when something caught his attention. Kneeling by Leonardo’s side, he leaned in closer to inspect the mark below his eye. It was a smudge of charcoal and Leonardo was an artist. It shouldn’t have been anything to look twice at except…

All of the pieces fell together.

Ezio reeled back and stumbled into a workbench. It seemed so painfully obvious that he felt foolish for not realizing it before. He’d seen that sash multiple times before, tied around the Dragon’s waist as he flew over rooftops. He’d searched for those hooded eyes more nights than he cared to admit. How could he not recognize a voice he’d heard for almost a decade? He’d chosen to ignore all of the clues that would have led him to the conclusion that his oldest friend and his newest ally were one in the same. Because that would mean…

The crash roused Leonardo and he bolted upright, his body tensed for trouble. When he saw Ezio, he relaxed and swung his legs down on to the floor. “Ah, Ezio. What can I do for you?”

His nonchalance only served to make Ezio angrier. Even though nothing in Leonardo had changed, the fact that he continued to lie to his face with such ease added fuel to the fire. There were a thousand things he wanted to say but they all coiled together and caught in his throat so that he was left speechless.

Leonardo ran a hand through his hair and rose to his feet upon realizing Ezio’s apparent distress. “Ezio? What’s the matter?”

“You…you’re the Dragon? All this time…”

Leonardo froze. “I—What are you…?” he began to deny it but the look on Ezio’s face was enough to let him know it was futile. He knew this was going to happen eventually; he only hoped Ezio would understand.

Ezio shook his head. “From the beginning…you’ve been lying to me?”

Leonardo’s heart sank. It was clear Ezio wasn’t going to take this reveal lightly. “When you woke up after your fall, I saw all of the hope leave your eyes. You needed something—someone—to believe in. I thought I could be that for you.”

“But you weren’t! _You_ weren’t. You had to conjure up some pretense and now all I know is that what I put my hope in was a lie.”

“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. When it started, I wasn’t going to get involved. I was only supposed to be a symbol. As the Marauder I could have done that. But things got out of hand. I didn’t think anyone would connect him to the Dragon.”

Ezio thought back to when La Volpe came to him and how betrayed he had felt when he first learned of the Dragon’s involvement with his father. If all of that were true, did he really know his best friend at all? 

Ezio grabbed the lip of the workbench and tipped it over, sending half a dozen unfinished projects on to the floor. Leonardo flinched and stepped backward, saying nothing in protest, his expression one of shame.

“Don’t you understand? This isn’t about some _fotutto_ masquerade. This is about how you’ve managed to make me look like a fool for months and shatter what trust I had in…either of you!”

“Ezio, please, let me explain—”

“Explain what? How you’ve been keeping secrets from me since the first day we met? When I first came to you after my father died I was in over my head and desperate for answers. With everything you knew you could have helped me but all you did was grab on to these _dannato_ Codex pages!” He threw the scroll across the room and it clattered to the ground.

“I know. I should have said something but…” Leonardo trailed off when he saw the look of pure horror on Ezio’s face.

When he spoke his voice was agonizingly soft. “Have you been using me as some kind of pawn in a ridiculous pursuit of knowledge?”

Leonardo recoiled as if Ezio had physically struck him. “How could you think that?”

Ezio steeled his jaw but wouldn’t look Leonardo in the eye. “How could you make me think that?” 

The workshop was dead silent as neither of them moved or knew what to say next. The tension in the room was enough to make Leonardo lightheaded but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out how to break it. Ezio had fixed his eyes on the overturned table and didn’t look up when Leonardo took a few hesitant steps closer. But when the man reached out to put a hand on his shoulder Ezio swatted it away and turned on his heel, flying out of the workshop without another word.

Leonardo sank to his knees amidst the broken and scattered remnants of his work. Beneath the pieces, the red sash was crumpled and covered with debris. Leonardo pulled it out and wrapped it around his hands, as if he had learned nothing from leaving it out the last time. “What have we done?” he whispered into its folds, but there was nothing.

\----

Ezio couldn’t think of any better distraction from the utter mess that was his friendship with Leonardo than by throwing himself unreservedly into his work. Antonio had been badgering him about a pocket of growing Templar influence back in Florence and Ezio decided he could do with a trip back home anyway. 

He hadn’t spoken to Leonardo at all since he found out. Even once the initial wave of betrayal had dissipated and he’d had time to think, he didn’t feel like he could face Leonardo at the moment. The wound was still fresh and he needed more time to sort everything out. 

Besides, even though he had been blindsided by the revelation, he still had full control over what he said. And he knew he had said some hurtful things, some of them just and others not so much. He tried to hold on to his resentment, because it gave him something to blame. But the more he thought it over, the less reason he found to be angry. 

True, Leonardo had kept the truth from him but wasn’t it with good intention? And what had he really been keeping from him? A secret identity. Wasn’t that the premise of Ezio’s lifestyle? It would be entirely hypocritical for him to be angry because of that.

And it wasn’t as if he truly hated Leonardo or the Dragon. Before he knew they were the same person, Leonardo was his best friend and the Dragon was…well, he didn’t exactly know what the Dragon was. But what was it that he had said? _I feel closer to him than people I’ve known for years. We are one in the same. I think he felt as helpless as I did_. The Dragon had given him hope and closure when he was in dire need of both. If Leonardo and the Dragon were really two halves of the same whole, didn’t that make the whole that much better?

But that wasn’t quite true either. The Dragon was a title, a name meant to hide a face. A name was as crucial to a disguise as any piece of cloth. Leonardo and the Dragon weren’t two parts of some greater being, Leonardo was the Dragon when you took away the mask. 

\----

Leonardo sat on the couch with his head in one hand, locked in a futile stare down with Gabriel. The angel gazed out of the panel at him with sly, knowing eyes and Leonardo found himself growing agitated at his own painting. He got up from the couch and crossed the room to find something to drink.

The table and all its contents were still upended, just as Ezio had left them. For some reason, Leonardo didn’t want to pick them up. It felt right like that. The mess mirrored the situation.

He poured a goblet full of whatever wine happened to be closest at hand. Normally, he frowned upon drinking because it dulled the senses and he was nothing without his mind. But numb was an incredibly appealing sensation at the moment so he downed the cup without a second thought.

The knock at the door couldn’t have come at a less opportune time. Company was the last thing on his mind and he was certainly in no condition to receive any. He was dressed only in the simple tunic and trousers he used for art so both were splattered with paint and encrusted with clay. His eyes were dull from a lack of sleep and he was sure his demeanor would be less than inviting. But the person knocking definitely had something to say; the last time someone had knocked with such urgency Ezio had been dying. So he dragged himself over and opened the door a crack. 

In fact, it was Rosa he was faced with once again and for a moment he was afraid that she came bearing similar news. But something in her expression told him differently.

“Yes?”

“I thought you ought to know that Ezio’s ship is meant to leave soon,” she said, cutting to the chase.

Leonardo furrowed his eyebrows. “His what?”

“He’s sailing back to the mainland and then going to Firenze.”

“Ezio is…leaving?”

“Any moment now. I would run.” She gave him a little smirk reminiscent of a certain angel’s and that was enough. Leonardo brushed past her and started running toward the dock, the blur he had been living in the past few days finally coming into focus. 

The streets were harsh under his bare feet but he ignored it, intent on reaching his destination before it was too late. He wondered if there would be a day when he wasn’t running after Ezio. He sure seemed to be doing a lot of it lately. But perhaps that was part of what made it all exciting.

As the dock got closer and closer he realized he had no idea of what he was going to say. Ezio had made it very apparent how he felt the last time they’d talked and hadn’t really given Leonardo a word in edgewise. What could he possibly say to make him change his mind? He always seemed to have a way with words but they were failing him now. 

And maybe it didn’t even matter.

The dock was empty. Ezio had already left.

Leonardo leaned against a stack of empty crates to catch his breath. That hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach returned and he wished he’d had time to drink more than one cup of wine. He supposed there would be other times to speak to Ezio. One day he would return to his home in Firenze or maybe Ezio’s travels would lead him back to Venice. But how long until then? Things would change in the time spent between. They always did. There were things that needed to be said now that would carry no weight in the future but what choice did he have?

“Messer da Vinci?”

Leonardo looked up to see the man who had led him and Ezio through the city on the first day of their arrival. It was fitting that the man to welcome them into the city was now there to see them leave. “Alvise, _salute_.”

“I wondered if I might see you here. I’ve just seen that friend of yours set out for Romagna.”

Leonardo’s head snapped up at that. “You’ve seen Ezio? When? How long ago?”

Alvise looked startled by Leonardo’s intensity but answered nonetheless. “Not minutes ago. The ship has only just left.” He pointed down the canal and Leonardo set off again, his hope revived. He wove through the streets, trying to catch glimpses of the canal or the ship through the buildings. He could just see the masts peeking over the rooftops.

The boat was drifting steadily over the water and by the time Leonardo reached the bend in the canal he was almost side by side with it. He found a space where a little wooden quay jutted out from the stone walls and stood at the edge.

“Ezio!”

It took a few moments but a familiar, white hood appeared at the rail. “Leonardo? What are you doing here?” 

He had precious few moments before the ship sailed out of earshot and he’d be forced to relocate so he knew he had to speak fast. Before he had a chance to think, the words tumbled out of his mouth without warning. “I don’t expect you to forgive me. I know I let it get too far. But there was a side of you I’d never seen when you were with him and I didn’t want to let that go. I know the Dragon and I must seem very different but you should know that there’s at least one thing we both have in common: we’re both in love with you!”

The last words hung in the air and his time was running out. The ship was shrinking farther and farther into the distance. Just when he was considering finding another spot, he saw Ezio hoist himself up on to the aft rail and dive into the canal. 

It felt like a dream as he watched Ezio cut through the water toward him and finally pull himself on to the jetty. The water dripping from Ezio’s clothes splashed Leonardo’s feet and he danced backward to avoid it.

“You’re going to make me swim all the way over here only to walk away from me?” Ezio said, taking a step forward.

“ _Mi dispiace_ ,” Leonardo replied, casting his gaze at the ground. His plan to get Ezio back to shore had worked but now that he was here, he didn’t know what to do with himself.

Ezio glanced around and saw that people were staring. Leonardo’s outburst was attention-getting on its own and now a strange, hooded man had appeared as well; it wasn’t surprising that they were drawing eyes.

“Perhaps this is not the best place for such a conversation,” he said. 

“You didn’t give me much choice.”

Ezio smiled and shoved Leonardo’s shoulder. “Start walking, cacasenno. You still have a lot of explaining to do.”

They made their way off of the dock and back into the city streets. But they hadn’t made it far when Ezio ducked into an empty side street and pulled Leonardo after him. Leonardo only managed a small “oh” before he found himself being pressed up against the wall.

Ezio pushed his hood back and braced his arm on the wall above Leonardo’s head. His other hand traced along the neckline of Leonardo’s shirt, stopping to tug at the string that tied it closed. Leonardo had seen Ezio flirt with others before but being the target of his affections was an entirely different experience.

“Now, what’s this about being in love with me?” Ezio asked, the corner of his mouth turned upward in a smirk.

“Just mark it down as one more thing I should have told you a long time ago.”

“Don’t make that a habit,” Ezio warned before he leaned in and kissed him. This time there was no unsettling darkness, enemy threat, bristly hay, jabbing elbows, or false identities. It was just the two of them and it was everything.

FINE


End file.
